Monday, October 25, 2010

DAILY DIARY: the big news

THE BIG NEWS

OPNO (one of them anyway) is getting married. Like, ASAP. So there will be dancing in the village as pictured below, sheilds and swords. [Our kind of wedding, right B?].

There was dress hunting last night. OPNO's fiance (which doesn't exist in Islam) likes traditional dress as much as OPNO. He will wear dishdasha in Europe and if OPNO wants to cover her face and wear out-of-mode abayaat ras he'll defend her and think she's glam even if she dresses like a grandmother.

R: "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! You can't wear traditional dress, we only wear those for the henna!"

OPNO: "I like traditional dress."

R: "But your husband will want you to wear a white dress like everybody else. More sexy."

[Potential groom shakes his head at this to OPNO over R's shoulder because he PREFERS Omani dress over Western white dresses]

OPNO: [gives her a you-know-nothing eye roll] "Serriously, R, I've hung out with more Omani guys than you. Men DON'T CARE about the wedding dress, so long as you are pretty. They DON'T CARE what your cousin spent or how many crystals she had on it. They just want you to look pretty and not spend all their money, and love them for who they are. As long as I look good naked, and love him, and am a good sweet girl, no guy will care if my dress was plain or boring or not as nice as somebody else's. Really."

R [gives OPNO a you-know-nothing-eyeroll]: "If you don't give him the wedding that he wants maybe he will one day marry somebody else."

[OPNO laughs because R knows nothing about Omani men at all.]

OPNO: "R, men love you more if you are willing to run away with them at the shortest possible notice, they don't care about the dress. But I DO, so let's keep looking."

We were going for an oyster pearl white traditional Omani dress but on this short of notice it was impossible, and so we went for the traditional Omani colour, green. But OPNO may rent a dress, so if there is anyone in Oman with a white Omani traditional dress in a very petite size who want to rent me their dress for 30 rials by this weekend, leave your gsm in my comments box and I won't post it.

OPNO found her honeymoon dress, and her honeymoon will be camping in Oman. I know, all ya'll Omani girls are horrified, because I was offered my pick of the middleeast and Europe and chose to see more of Oman. Husband-to-be didn't like the sound of OPNO & Yemen.Lastnight we went to buy the maher of silver and gold. Which I actually didn't want but apparently have to take. So I bought rings and bracelets and a necklace and anklets and am going to wear a fake headpiece and pretend like it is real and spend that money on something more practical. I asked for a Qu'ran and a rose. They forced me to take more. And I just had to send a text message:

H2B: "Okay, then I will look for silver and make the jeweler work in some jewels. I love you."

Husband-to-be will put it all [the whole gaudy blingy heavy mess] in a traditional Omani box and give it to me, while women carry insense burners balanced on their heads. I will be veiled, face covered with a warqiyah covered in green and pink crystals on the night of my henna night. [I wanted a small, compact, rushed ceremony so henna night became Maher night as well].R will paint my hands with delicate henna designs and Husband-to-be will strap on a three hundred year olf khanjar and carry an assa (which looks silly to me, I am into the khanjar thing but the assa makes me giggle). I have forced him to wear an ancient old mussayr instead of a fancy new one (for which Riham will kill me but I don't like musayrs that look like turbans from India) and apparently, after the melka they will make me ride a donkey, yes a donkey, to the groom's family house. I wanted a horse but apparently, that's only for the Shiekh (like I care) but I mean, some pretty great women have ridden donkeys, like Mary/Mariam from the Quran and Bible, so I mean, I could be humble and take it as a laugh.

Wish me luck, make dua for me, and much love to ya'll. And here to our other OPNO getting married, inshaAllahkheir.

Hi, OPNO! Hope ur wedding will go well and I wish u happyness in ur future married life!!!May i ask u one question plz? Did ur husband-to-be get permission from Ministry of Interior? Don't get me wrong plz, it's personal question, just we are waiting for almost 4 years already and I don't really know what to think.

Boxie: LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL. Yes, lol, this time I won't be riding a WILD DONKEY.

For those who don't know the tale: B and OPNO went camping together in Sharqiyah and stumbled upon some rather wild donkeys while collecting firewood. OPNO being good with animals (excepting jellyfish and MAYBE Omani sharks) was able to pet the donkeys and ride them, but the donkeys got very upset when OPNO tried to make them carry her firewood and took off.

All the Omani friends of OPNO and Boxie decided that the donkeys were Jinn.

So correction Boxie, Omani opinion has it that I rode a Jinn, NOT a wild donkey.

Umm Aaminah: Jazzakallahkheir and the same to you, who has been so sweet, making dua for me through every trial and tribulation. All the bets to you and your family sister, and I will be very happy to have you as my neighbor if you come to Oman.

Anonymous: Answering this could get one in trouble if they did not have permission. Honestly, I did not care to get permission as such a law is unislamic in the case of a muslim marrying another Muslim [I still love you Your Majesty!!!!!!! and H2B is TOTALLY jealous of you], but I have Omani friends in my life who have enough wasta to get me permission.

If your husband's family is helping you it is also easier, nagging the Ministry of the Interior. It is getting easier but some people are still turned away and if they had any wasta in this regard, they wouldn't be.

Also, if your man is ROP or MOD there is no chance unless he is willing to leave his job.

Congrats sisis this your first marriage and your H2B's first marriage? If so I want to tell you this one valuable advice, the man you'll be marrying soon will inshallah be the best one for you because Allah has brought you two together. So this man completes you in every way, and there will never be another one that completes you as much as him. So my dear sis remember this during the ups and downs of marriage. No matter how tough things might get, stick through it and with the help of Allah you'll both be together till death do you part.The above statement holds true only if it's the first marriage for you bothbest of luck to you both

OPNO, thanks again for reply.No, he is not working in ROP & MOD, but working for goverment. Maybe thats why it taking such a long time. And its really annoying me, make me think too much and suffer. Also because the Ministry it self doing everything as they want, have no plans, changing them mind constantly, talking arrogantly. uffff...I love Oman, beleive me I really LOVE this country as u do and I praise and delight His Majesty Sultan Qaboos for his way of ruling this beautifull, paecefull country. But they should, they MUST change that stupid unislamic rule. Thousands of human destiny depends on a small handful of people who are simple gesture can make a man(woman) happy or unhappy. This is unfair really. Everything in God hands only. And we still waiting and struggle.Sorry for long comment, OPNO. Just a soul boiling.Have a great day and God bless u.

OPNO, no, his family not helping. There is difficult situation about it. He is from very conservative family.Just the time he filed his application he added a letter from his father. How he get it it's another story(i hope u get me).

And thank u OPNO for info and ur support, it's really does help, sure. At the end we are together in one boat.I wish u and ur husband a very long healthy happy life! God bless u.

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Please Be Kind

This blog [was] a combination of the stories and experiences of three [now just lonely one] women into the character of one [so no one could mouth one or the other]. I am the only one who seems to be writing now so I've changed this little note. If that changes in future, I'll update it again! All the best to our loyal readers, xoxo- OPNO

About Me

I am just another Bedouin Victorian girl living her life in the Khaleej (aka Arabian/Persian Gulf). I currently reside in the Sultanate of Oman. I occasionally write for the blog "How to Live like an Omani Princess" and usually BADLY edit it.